The Juvenilization of American Christianity

The most energizing part of being a historian—about looking at old things—is the realization that every “new” thing we discover and joyfully own for ourselves has really been around for a long while and that those “new” things, if we judge them as bad, were not necessarily foisted upon us as a result of some nefarious plot to destroy the future. Rather, decisions in the past were made to deal with real problems, in the most appropriate and thoughtful manner possible in their own time. As such, one day, we wake up and realize that we have to deal with a number of unintended consequences. In Thomas E. Bergler’s book,The Juvenilization of American Christianity, we have an excellent history of one such trend.

Bergler focuses on a part of Church history that I was not very aware of (1920-1970). During that time American Christianity underwent a series of deeply significant changes as it related to its youth. Soon after the First World War through the late 1960s, American Christians felt deeply troubled by declining membership. At the same time, a “crisis of civilization” loomed over the American church; WWI, fascism, communism, the Great Depression, WWII, and, finally, the prospect of nuclear obliteration all pushed much-needed reforms in the Church’s handling of its young people. Throughout this period, Christian leaders worried that its youth would slip away, leaving both the Church and the country at the hands of evil men. The Church began to focus more and more on youth as a bulwark against eroding Christian values in the culture. Protestant and Catholic, Black and White all sought to bring youth into the fold, to bring them to a mature understanding of Christ and their Christian role in society and equip them for future ministry.

As a result, the Church began to cater to its youth. Rightfully concerned that “bobby-soxers” and “door key kids” would go unchurched, organizations like Youth for Christ began to emphasize the excitement of the Christian life. Christianity could be fun, after all. They hired professional musicians, used worldly marketing, and a call to political action to rouse what they thought was the natural inclination of youth toward a vital Christian life in the home and in the world. Promises of entertainment and self-fulfillment replaced the Victorian virtues of self-discipline and hard work, appealing to, what turned out to be, the lowest common denominator. The bar was lowered to allow generations of non-churched people to more comfortably enter the Church. Young people learned less about Christ and more about what it meant to be a good citizen. Eventually, young people were barraged with the demands of political activism, both in the realms of social justice and patriotic duty. Rightfully so the Church felt that it had a role to play in creating a better life for all people, but Christian adults put undue faith in that the young would shoulder this heavy load.

By the 1960s, this led to a sense of resentment in youth culture in general. As such, after two generations of making church fun and exciting, non-threatening and simple, young people demanded their independence, and they got their wish. In the mind of many youth leaders, the Church herself became an obstacle to true faith, its constricting dogmas and liturgical lifelessness were at odds with a youth now entitled to a church dedicated to their self-fulfillment. Feeling the simultaneous burden to fix the problems made by the older generation and the freedom to explore their faith without guidance from the Church, several philosophical streams invaded the church: mainly Existentialism (which I hope to tackle in my next book), social justice and a culture dedicated to self-improvement and self-exploration. As such, young people were encouraged to avoid finding answers, pat or not, and to “live the question” and to "find their own way."

As Bergler says, “Juvenilization has kept American Christianity vibrant,” yet it has also eroded much of what the Church has built up over the centuries. Biblical language and literacy disappeared in our churches for fear that Christian jargon would offend the “simple” sensibilities of today’s youth. We have learned, Bergler suggests, that “a well-articulated belief system is unimportant and might even become an obstacle to authentic faith.” Ever searching and never finding has become a sign of true spirituality. In our “seeker-friendly” and “purpose-driven” churches, many Christians today lack the mature discipline or inclination required to actually grow in their faith. God’s purpose is to make the Christian feel better and have more stuff. In a world where theology has become optional, perhaps even unnecessary, a faith focused on our emotional comfort becomes nearly indistinguishable from self-centeredness.

I did not expect this to be a historical account of the progress of juvenilization. As a history, this is a particularly engrossing book, yet I was expecting Bergler to focus on the woes of the modern American church a little more intensely. More balanced than expected, this book documents a trail of good intentions of our predecessors. Bergler seems to think that there are real benefits to juvenilization, and, where there are problems, suitable solutions can be brought to the table (though he offers no specifics). I have to admit, I was hoping that he would address some pet peeves I have with the American church: “shopping” for churches, pop psychology/existential sermons, “sentimental” Jesus, and superficial pop music that fills seems to be a mainstay of Christian radio (really, can we not do better than the I, vi, IV, V chord progressions?). I confess, these are my own prejudices for which I beg your forgiveness, but, for my own part, I wished that Bergler had pounded these things into the ground. I am glad that he did not though. Certainly, he finds these and others problematic, yet, Bergler is smart enough to understand the ebb and flow of culture and that our present is the product of our ancestors’ future.

Ultimately, this book should not be taken as a call to stop loving each other, improving our lives, or having fun. Rather, it should be a call to engage more fully in the life of the Church by growing spiritually and studying the hard things of our faith. Church history, eschatology, soteriology, and social justice as a mature outgrowth of our centeredness in Christ are difficult subjects both to master and to live out, yet we are doing a disservice to ourselves in their neglect. We should be enemies of religiosity and overly intellectualized teaching, but that certainly does not excuses us to remain spiritual children—and the Church, despite sometimes being pharisaical, is the only place that Christians can mature.